Boat trailer parking at City Hall is not a realistic option. But I am a boater who thinks the Third Street boat launch should be closed and used to accommodate many more boat slips. My family loves staying aboard downtown on summer evenings.

Sending Washington traffic to launch their boats at the Beachouse makes some sense. But that won’t entirely replace Third Street.

The most obvious boat launch and trailer parking site is on Blackwell Island. Like the adjoining RV site, this is a sensible, seasonal use of a flood-prone area.

This portion of the Spokane River is already a no-wake zone and won’t require a breakwater. Paving the area for parking would be inexpensive. Spokanites could travel down Northwest Boulevard or U.S. 95 to the launch point, without invading downtown. And the obscene juvenile delinquents aren’t likely to congregate there.

If Mr. Hagadone wants a high-end park adjoining The Resort for his clientele, and downtown wants a more sophisticated green space with hidden car parking but without losing boating folks, and locals want only to launch from the closest point without a hassle, a Blackwell Island boat launch should appeal to all.

Please, Mr. Hagadone, rather than build yet another high-end resort, why not donate some Blackwell acreage and get the memorial flower garden you’ve always wanted. We local working stiffs would welcome another simple launch site with ample parking on the Spokane River, away from downtown.

Donate some floodplain, get a Resort-side memorial garden, and local patronage of the Cedars will more than double. Win-win-win.

JIM WEST

Coeur d’Alene